Harry and crew read Deathly Hallows
by LordKittyMort
Summary: Not your Usual 'They read the books fic'. Harry and a few of my choice read Deathly Hallows, so that they can make different decisions and save some people from dying. Few things are changed up, hope you like it! ONLY rated M because of language that might be used and anything that might appear in the actual book that's a bit graphic. NO SLASH! Harry&Snape will be friends! Swearing
1. Chapter 1

**So i had this idea in my head for a while now, after reading several " they read the books" fics and not quite finding them all that good.**

** This is a Harry Potter, the characters read the Books fic. Though im going to twist a few things up. **

**This is During OotP 5th year Christmas Holiday, that they spend at Grimmauld Place.**

**They will read the Deathly Hallows ( unless i cant get someone to lend me a copy of it, **

**then it'll be the first one or something) Instead of the usual crew who normally show up,**

**i mixed things around a bit. were going to ignore everything in HBP except for the**

**important things, like dumbles death. I added two people. Alexander Crow, the new divinations**

**teacher( umbridge canned Trelewany, like in the movie) and Kayne Stratus, the new DADA**

**teacher. ( i moved what happened to Umbridge at the end of the movie to before Halloween ) **

**Future harry is 27 **

**Teddy is 10**

**Albus Potter is 8 (call him Al for the sake of the story)**

**everyone else is the same age as they were in the movie. **

**Stratus, Crow, and Sara are my own personal characters, so i would appreciate no name stealing!**

**" speech "**

**' Thoughts '**

**: Parsletounge :**

**Disclaimer:: I don't own Harry Potter, if i did Snape would still be alive! Deathly Hallows Spoilers!**

* * *

Chapter 1

" Come on, Harry. Open your presents!" Ron said as he tore into another muffin. That had sent crumbs flying all over him, but honestly he could care less right then. This year, instead of staying at Hogwarts, Harry was spending Christmas with his godfather and the Weasleys, ( minus Percy of course). Even Bill and Charlie had taken off heir work to spend time with the family.

"Honestly Ron." Hermione sighed. Harry reached over and picked up a roundish package, it was from Hagrid. he grimaced when he opened it to find rock cakes. Well, it was the thought that counts. Harry set it aside and as he was reaching over to grab a strange rectangular one, Mrs. Weasley came busting in.

"The Meeting is over darlings, you can use the kitchen now if you like." The order had decided a meeting was needed after Mr. Weasley had been attacked by Nagini.

" Oh, and Harry dear, Severus needs to speak with you." Harry looked at her, his face in obvious confusion.

"Snape?"

"It's Professor dear, and yes, he's just over in the next room." He nodded before getting to his feet, Hermione and Ron were arguing over something or another again, ' He probably didn't chew with his mouth closed.' Harry rolled his eyes. "really, their like an old married couple.'

Harry walked into the dining room to find Remus lecturing Sirius about something, while said godfather glared over the werewolf's shoulder towards a corner in the room that The potions master was standing in, his face drawn in a bitter sneer.

"Mr. Potter. Finally decided to grace us with your presence, I see." Harry went to retort when a tight pressure formed in his chest. As if someone were gripping his lungs, cutting off his oxygen. His head started to pound, and the room spun, only to disappear into a vortex of light.

* * *

( Dining room General POV )

As soon as Snape had finished speaking, Sirius had jumped up to defend his godson, only to stop and stare along with him and Remus as Harry's face contorted in pain, then a fear flew across it, and his eyes got a hazy look before he vanished in a flash of white. There was only a moment of silence before a scream came from the next room, but they too disappeared before anyone could lift a finger.

* * *

**Weeeellll.**

**It was in my Brain, and Now its on the internet.**

**Tell me how you like it!**

**all comments welcomed :3**

**R&R**

**LordKittyMort **


	2. Chapter 2

**I forgot to tell you guys how old my OCs were. **

**The new DADA teacher is 29 and the Divinations teacher is 31.**

**Prof. Stratus****- Teaches DADA, not all that tall, average height, with Slightly Curly Hair thats a blondish brown.**

**Prof. Crow****- Teaches Divinations ( because like in the fifth movie, umbridge canned trelewany(s?) )**

**31, Tall, about the same height as snape, Blue-black hair**

**thats just past his shoulder.**

**Also, as to WHY Remus stared so intently at Teddy? He smells like remus, like a werewolf, even though he only gets cranky around the full moon. Remus smelled him and was wanting to know if the child really was one.**

**Older Harry- Mr. Potter**

**Younger Harry- Harry**

**' thoughts '**

**" speech "**

**: parsletounge :**

**Disclaimer: i dont own harry potter**

* * *

(( Room Of Requirements Harry POV ))

The squeezing sensation was gone, just as fast as it had came, the light gone as well. He recognized the room almost immediately, as well as the fact that he was not the only person in it. In front of him, equally confused sad all three Malfoys, Sirius, Remus, the Weasleys ( bar Percy ), Hermione, Professors Dumbledore, Snape, McGonnigal, the two new professors, Crow and Stratus, Luna, and three other people he did not know. One was definitely an adult, the other two children. Both didn't look old enough to be first years. The adult looked barely so, around 19-20.

Then he noticed how the were all arranged. they had appeared in a large room, walls done in a nice dark green. It had 4 doors and a large fire place. Near the fireplace were two corner couches, one could easily seat 6 and both were done in a deep brown color, three individual seats that were all a pale beige color, one between the two corner couches while the other two were at the end of the one farthest from the fireplace. Then there was a three- seater that was done in a light caramel, as well as the love seat next to it. A table rested in the middle of it all. Everyone just sat there, looking at each other in confusion, the room silent because no one could find what to say.

The three strangers all shared a look, before the eldest one nodded and the older looking of the younger two stepped foward. His hair was a brownish color when they had first entered the room, now though, it was a mix between pink and red, as if his hair were blushing, ' must be shy '

Harry almost didn't hear him at first, when he spoke. His voice was very soft.

"Hello' That one word seemed to snap everyone back to reality. Harry clutched the seat he'd appeared in, as was Remus. Harry looked at him oddly. His nostrils were flared and he was entirely focused on the boy in from of them. The older stranger caught Remus's eyes and shook his head, (So slightly that if you hadn't been staring at him, you wouldn't have noticed.) with a small smile, before he went and took the empty seat next to Snape. said professor meerley glanced at him. Ron seemed to have found his voice.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" The man cracked a large grin.

"Same old Same old, huh Ron?" Ron looked at him questioningly, but the man did not elaborate. His grin fell off his face.

"I suppose i should introduce myself. But first, why you are here." He pointed to the table that was in the middle of the sorta- circle the furniture made. Harry gasped, there on the table was the strange rectangular package from before. The one he had been about to open when Mrs. Weasley had said that Snape needed to talk to him. Dumbledore, who like the others had been silent all this time, stood from the three- seater he had been sharing with Remus and Sirius, and walked over to the table and picked the package up. He then proceeded to rip off the deep brown paper it had been wrapped in. Banishing the ripped material, Dumbledore only stared at it for a moment, before looking to the man, his face twisted in a mix of shock and severity.

"How?" Was all the older wizard said. The man smirked, worthy of a Slytherin.

"Magic." Harry looked away and at the people in the room. Both Snape and mini- Malfoy, who both seemed to not hear the conversation going on, were shooting glares at him.

"Your from the future." Dumbledore stated more than asked. Everyone's eyes snapped to the strangers. The man nodded.

"Indeed. I am Harry James Potter."

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**Worked on this at school so that i could post tonight!**

**if you want to see pictures of Crow and Stratus, there are sorta links below, just remove the spaces.**

** d/57923-1/ Man+long+medium+curly+and+wavy+haircut+in+blonde+and+light+brown+and+side+bangs. JPG**

** i234. photobucket albums/ee136/ suwarnaadi/hair/ Anime-guy-withfringe-hair. jpg**

**Thanks! Read and Review!**

**Lord KittyMort**


	3. The Dark Lord Ascending

**Only one whole review..**

**sad sad.**

**Found my Copy of the book! So Deathly Hallows it is**

**Im Writing as fast as i can, so don't be mad**

**OH the feelings of pure JOY i felt when i found that i didnt have to type the ENTIRE book word for word BY HAND.**

**THANK the LORD for copy and paste. **

**Prof Stratus was an old friend of Snapes**

**Older Harry will be Mr. Potter**

**Younger Harry will be Harry**

**Albus Severus Potter will be Al**

**Albus (too many middle names for me to bother) Dumbledore will be Dumbledore**

**" Speech "**

**' Thoughts '**

**: Parsletounge :**

**I Don't own Harry Potter**

* * *

I stared at the man in shock. He was... me? Me. From the future.

"H-how far in the future?" Hermione asked, her question was hesitant but you could almost hear the wheels in her head turning. He- Older me- looked at her.

"I'm 27." He probably knew she would work the math out quickly in her head.

"12 years in the future?" Hermione looked at him for confirmation, and he nodded.

"Give or take a month or so." Ron being Ron decided to question him some more.

"What exactly are we here for?" older me, I didn't really know what to call him, Didn't even miss a beat as he replied.

"I am here so that we can save a few lives. To do that, you have to read about my seventh year at Hogwarts." Snape sneered.

"Of course, lets all read about _Potter_." He spat my name like someone would if they were talking about a plague. Older me turned to look at him, before replying smoothly.

"Of course, Severus," He paused as Snape glared at the use of his first name.

"We could always read about my sixth year and learn _ALL_ about the Half-Blood Prince." Snape's face went completely blank and he just looked at him-me.

"The book if you will." He took the book from Dumbledore and sat back down.

"Oh!" Older me gestured to the children that had been sitting quietly.

"These are my children," I swear i hear Snape muttering something about ' more potter-spawn '. He gestured to the boy who had spoken earlier. His hair was now a bright turquoise color. The twins had been staring at him intensely, his hair had been switching from color to color since he'd said hello.

"This is my eldest, he's 10, Teddy Remus Lupin." He/Me held up a hand before anyone could speak, then waved his had to the other child who had been sitting quietly on the floor between Snape and Remus' legs.

"My youngest, he is 8. This is Albus Severus Potter." Everyone lost the composure, their eyes wide and mouths dropped in shock.

"You named your kid after Snape?!" The twins asked alternately, the sentence flowed smoothly, without even a pause. He/Me nodded.

"I have my reasons." He/Me ignored the questioning glances from everyone and looked to the large book in his hands.

"Now on with the story! Who wants to read first?" Bill raised his hand, so the book was passed his way. He cleared his throat and read the title of the first chapter.

**Chapter one, The Dark Lord Ascending,**

The Malfoys finally looked interested in what was going on, Harry noted. Bill continued on.

**The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane.**

"Were is-" Ginny started, but her mum shushed her.

**For a second they stood quite still, wands directed at each other's chests; then, recognizing each other, they stowed their wands beneath their cloaks and started walking briskly in the same direction.**

**"News?" asked the taller of the two.**

**"The best," replied Severus Snape. **

"Wait." Draco interrupted,

"I thought this story was about Potter." Draco wanted to know why it was talking about his godfather so early on. Older Harry, Lets just call him Mr. Potter, nodded.

"It's getting there, it just has to cover a few things. do NOT judge anyone till the end of the book. Some of you wont like what happens." looked to Bill who took the hint and continued reading.

**The lane was bordered on the left by wild, low-growing brambles, on the right by a high, neatly manicured hedge. The men's long cloaks flapped around their ankles as they marched. "Thought I might be late," said Yaxley, his blunt features sliding in and out of sight as the branches of overhanging trees broke the moonlight.**

**"It was a little trickier than I expected. But I hope he will be satisfied. You sound confident that your reception will be good?" Snape nodded, but did not elaborate. They turned right, into a wide driveway that led off the lane. The high hedge curved into them, running off into the distance beyond the pair of imposing wrought-iron gates barring the men's way.**

****All three Malfoys were thinking that it sounded a bit familiar.

** Neither of them broke step: In silence both raised their left arms in a kind of salute and passed straight through, as though the dark metal was smoke.**

****'Interesting.' thought Mr. Weasley.

**The yew hedges muffled the sound of the men's footsteps. There was a rustle somewhere to their right: Yaxley drew his wand again pointing it over his companion's head, but the source of the noise proved to be nothing more than a pure-white peacock, strutting majestically along the top of the hedge.**

"**He always did himself well, Lucius. Peacocks …" Yaxley thrust his wand back under his cloak with a snort.**

****Lucius huffed indignantly.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with Peacocks!" Ron was snickering behind his hand, as were the twins and Ginny. Sirius burst out laughing.

"Mal-malfoy... Pea-peacocks? Re-really? Tha- that's so...!" it took him a moment to quiet down so that Bill could go on reading. Mrs. Malfoy looked indifferent, but Draco and Lucius openly glared at Sirius.

**A handsome manor house grew out of the darkness at the end of the straight drive, lights glinting in the diamond panned downstairs windows. Somewhere in the dark garden beyond the hedge a fountain was playing.**

****"Malfoy Manor." Luna had been so quiet in her seat at next to Crow, most everyone had forgotten she was there. Some looked at her oddly for her strange, Sing-song interruption. Harry who was familiar with how Luna acted, simply nodded in understanding.

** Gravel crackled beneath their feet as Snape and Yaxley sped toward the front door, which swung inward at their approach, though nobody had visibly opened it.**

**The hallway was large, dimly lit, and sumptuously decorated, with a magnificent carpet covering most of the stone floor. The eyes of the pale-faced portraits on the wall followed Snape and Yaxley as they strode past. The two men halted at a heavy wooden door leading into the next room, hesitated for the space of a heartbeat, then Snape turned the bronze handle.**

**The drawing room was full of silent people, sitting at a long and ornate table. The room's usual furniture had been pushed carelessly up against the walls. Illumination came from a roaring fire beneath a handsome marble mantelpiece surmounted by a gilded mirror. Snape and Yaxley lingered for a moment on the threshold. As their eyes grew accustomed to the lack of light, they were drawn upward to the strangest feature of the scene: an apparently unconscious human figure hanging upside down over the table, revolving slowly as if suspended by an invisible rope, and reflected in the mirror and in the bare, polished surface of the table below.**

****Everyone looked slightly sick at the mention of a body hanging from the ceiling. With the title of this chapter, they all knew that if that person wasn't already dead, their death wouldn't be a pleasant one. Hopefully, it would be quick.

**None of the people seated underneath this singular sight were looking at it except for a pale young man sitting almost directly below it. He seemed unable to prevent himself from glancing upward every minute or so.**

"**Yaxley. Snape," said a high, clear voice from the head of the table. "You are very nearly late."**

****Al jumped up, startling Remus.

" how DARE you be NEARLY late!" he bellowed

Everyone laughed ( some slyly behind a hand, or a faked cough) Mr. Potter smiled at his son, who had successfully broken the tense atmosphere.

**The speaker was seated directly in front of the fireplace, so that it was difficult, at first, for the new arrivals to make out more than his silhouette. As they drew nearer, however, his face shone through the gloom, hairless, snakelike, with slits for nostrils and gleaming red eyes whose pupils were vertical. He was so pale that he seemed to emit a pearly glow.**

"Yuck." Sirius blanched.

"**Severus, here," said Voldemort, indicating the seat on his immediate right. "Yaxley – beside Dolohov."**

"Snivellus is Voldemort's right hand man? What the bloody hell did he do to get that _honor_?" Sirius asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Mr. Potter shocked him silent with a glare that was Hotch-Worthy ( AN:/ Sorry couldnt help the Criminal Minds reference). Severus himself was shocked, but for a different reason. Right hand? What HAD he done? He didn't even try to imagine.

**The two men took their allotted places. Most of the eyes around the table followed Snape, and it was to him that Voldemort spoke first.**

"**So?"**

"**My Lord, the Order of the Phoenix intends to move Harry Potter from his current place of safety on Saturday next, at nightfall."**

****Sirius shot up from his seat, only to find himself bound and silenced with a wave of 's wand before he could even get a word out.

"Did you NOT hear me when I said not to judge anyone? That means ANYONE in this room. For ANYTHING." He looked to Bill who hastily read.

**The interest around the table sharpened palpably: Some stiffened, others fidgeted, all gazing at Snape and Voldemort.**

**"Saturday … at nightfall," repeated Voldemort. His red eyes fastened upon Snape's black ones with such intensity that some of the watchers looked away, apparently fearful that they themselves would be scorched by the ferocity of the gaze. Snape, however, looked calmly back into Voldemort's face and, after a moment or two, Voldemort's lipless mouth curved into something like a smile.**

"**Good. Very good. And this information comes –"**

" – **from the source we discussed," said Snape. **

"**My Lord."**

**Yaxley had leaned forward to look down the long table at Voldemort and Snape. All faces turned to him.**

"**My Lord, I have heard differently."**

**Yaxley waited, but Voldemort did not speak, so he went on, "Dawlish, the Auror, let slip that Potter will not be moved until the thirtieth, the night before the boy turns seventeen."**

****Mrs. Weasley ( lets call her molly) was nearly in tears. Not even 17 yet. That poor boy. Practically her son in everything but blood. As if reading her thoughts, Mr. Potter caught her eyes and smiled warmly at her.

**Snape was smiling.**

****Surprisingly, it was Charlie and Professor Stratus who yelled.

" Sweet Merlin, run for the hills!"

"**My source told me that there are plans to lay a false trail; this must be it. No doubt a Confundus Charm has been placed upon Dawlish. It would not be the first time; he is known to be susceptible."**

"**I assure you, my Lord, Dawlish seemed quite certain," said Yaxley.**

"**If he has been Confunded, naturally he is certain," said Snape. "I assure you, Yaxley, the Auror Office will play no further part in the protection of Harry Potter. The Order believes that we have infiltrated the Ministry."**

"**The Order's got one thing right, then, eh?" said a squat man sitting a short distance from Yaxley; he gave a wheezy giggle that was echoed here and there along the table.**

**Voldemort did not laugh. His gaze had wandered upward to the body revolving slowly overhead, and he seemed to be lost in thought.**

**"My Lord," Yaxley went on, "Dawlish believes an entire party of Aurors will be used to transfer the boy –"**

**Voldemort held up a large white hand, and Yaxley subsided at once, watching resentfully as Voldemort turned back to Snape.**

"**Where are they going to hide the boy next?"**

"**At the home of one of the Order," said Snape. "The place, according to the source, has been given every protection that the Order and Ministry together could provide. I think that there is little chance of taking him once he is there, my Lord, unless, of course, the Ministry has fallen before next Saturday, which might give us the opportunity to discover and undo enough of the enchantments to break through the rest."**

"**Well, Yaxley?" Voldemort called down the table, the firelight glinting strangely in his red eyes. "Will the Ministry have fallen by next Saturday?"**

**Once again, all heads turned. Yaxley squared his shoulders.**

"**My Lord, I have good news on that score. I have – with difficulty, and after great effort – succeeded in placing an Imperius Curse upon Pius Thicknesse."**

****"Not even the ministry is safe anymore"

**Many of those sitting around Yaxley looked impressed; his neighbor, Dolohov, a man with a long, twisted face, clapped him on the back.**

**It is a start," said Voldemort. "But Thicknesse is only one man. Scrimgeour must be surrounded by our people before I act. One failed attempt on the Minister's life will set me back a long way."**

****Everyone, save the future people, had the same thought. ' what happened to fudge? '

"**Yes – my Lord, that is true – but you know, as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Thicknesse has regular contact not only with the Minister himself, but also with the Heads of all the other Ministry departments. It will, I think, be easy now that we have such a high-ranking official under our control, to subjugate the others, and then they can all work together to bring Scrimgeour down."**

"**As long as our friend Thicknesse is not discovered before he has converted the rest," said Voldemort. "At any rate, it remains unlikely that the Ministry will be mine before next Saturday. If we cannot touch the boy at his destination, then it must be done while he travels."**

"**We are at an advantage there, my Lord," said Yaxley, who seemed determined to receive some portion of approval. "We now have several people planted within the Department of Magical Transport. If Potter Apparates or uses the Floo Network, we shall know immediately."**

"**He will not do either," said Snape. "The Order is eschewing any form of transport that is controlled or regulated by the Ministry; they mistrust everything to do with the place."**

"Well, at least we have the Order."

"**All the better," said Voldemort. "He will have to move in the open. Easier to take, by far."**

"Crap." Ron muttered. He missed the look his mum sent him.

**Again, Voldemort looked up at the slowly revolving body as he went on, "I shall attend to the boy in person. There have been too many mistakes where Harry Potter is concerned. Some of them have been my own. That Potter lives is due more to my errors than to his triumphs."**

****Harry shuddered slightly, remembering every time he HAD faced Voldemort.

**The company around the table watched Voldemort apprehensively, each of them, by his or her expression, afraid that they might be blamed for Harry Potter's continued existence. Voldemort, however, seemed to be speaking more to himself than to any of them, still addressing the unconscious body above him.**

**"I have been careless, and so have been thwarted by luck and chance, those wreckers of all but the best-laid plans. But I know better now. I understand those things that I did not understand before. I must be the one to kill Harry Potter, and I shall be."**

"Poor kid." Professor Crow mumbled. He sent a sad look at Harry.

**At these words, seemingly in response to them, a sudden wail sounded, a terrible, drawn-out cry of misery and pain. Many of those at the table looked downward, startled, for the sound had seemed to issue from below their feet.**

"**Wormtail,"**

****Remus Growled lightly at that traitors name, and Sirius' eyes darkened with hatred.

**said Voldemort,** **with no change in his quiet, thoughtful tone, and without removing his eyes from the revolving body above, "have I not spoken to you about keeping our prisoner quiet?"**

"**Yes, m-my Lord," gasped a small man halfway down the table, who had been sitting so low in his chair that it appeared, at first glance, to be unoccupied. Now he scrambled from his seat and scurried from the room, leaving nothing behind him but a curious gleam of silver.**

"**As I was saying," continued Voldemort, looking again at the tense faces of his followers, "I understand better now. I shall need, for instance, to borrow a wand from one of you before I go to kill Potter."**

**The faces around him displayed nothing but shock; he might have announced that he wanted to borrow one of their arms.**

**"No volunteers?" said Voldemort. "Let's see … Lucius, I see no reason for you to have a wand anymore."**

**Lucius Malfoy looked up. His skin appeared yellowish and waxy in the firelight, and his eyes were sunken and shadowed. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse.**

****For the first time, Mrs. Malfoy spoke.

"What happened to him?" her voice was slight with worry. looked at her.

"Azkaban." That was the only thing he had needed to say, and the entire room understood. Draco leaned closer to his father without even realizing it, his usual mask broken. Worry was evident on his face.

**My Lord?"**

"**Your wand, Lucius. I require your wand."**

"**I …"**

**Malfoy glanced sideways at his wife. She was staring straight ahead, quite as pale as he was, her long blonde hair hanging down her back, but beneath the table her slim fingers closed briefly on his wrist. At her touch, Malfoy put his hand into his robes, withdrew a wand, and passed it along to Voldemort, who held it up in front of his red eyes, examining it closely.**

"**What is it?"**

"**Elm, my Lord," whispered Malfoy.**

"**And the core?"**

"**Dragon – dragon heartstring."**

"**Good," said Voldemort. He drew out his wand and compared the lengths. Lucius Malfoy made an involuntary movement; for a fraction of a second, it seemed he expected to receive Voldemort's wand in exchange for his own. The gesture was not missed by Voldemort, whose eyes widened maliciously.**

"**Give you my wand, Lucius? My wand?"**

****"Honestly Lucius." Severus sounded a bit cold, but his friend knew what he meant. He was upset and worried for him, though it didn't show on his face.

**Some of the throng sniggered.**

"**I have given you your liberty, Lucius, is that not enough for you? But I have noticed that you and your family seem less than happy of late … What is it about my presence in your home that displaces you, Lucius?"**

"**Nothing – nothing, my Lord!"**

"**Such lies Lucius … "**

**The soft voice seemed to hiss on even after the cruel mouth had stopped moving. One or two of the wizards barely repressed a shudder as the hissing grew louder; something heavy could be heard sliding across the floor beneath the table.**

**The huge snake emerged to climb slowly up Voldemort's chair. It rose, seemingly endlessly, and came to rest across Voldemort's shoulders: its neck the thickness of a man's thigh; its eyes, with their vertical slits for pupils, unblinking. Voldemort stroked the creature absently with long thin fingers, still looking at Lucius Malfoy.**

"**Why do the Malfoys look so unhappy with their lot? Is my return, my rise to power, not the very thing they professed to desire for so many years?"**

"**Of course, my Lord," said Lucius Malfoy. His hand shook as he wiped sweat from his upper lip. "We did desire it – we do."**

**To Malfoy's left, his wife made an odd, stiff nod, her eyes averted from Voldemort and the snake. To his right, his son, Draco, who had been gazing up at the inert body overhead, glanced quickly at Voldemort and away again, terrified to make eye contact.**

"**My Lord," said a dark woman halfway down the table, her voice constricted with emotion,**

****Fred spoke up. " Bet it's Lestrange." Harry got a glint in his eye.

"Bella-Bitch? Your on!" The past people all looked a bit shocked by Harry's language, but no one commented.

"**it is an honor to have you here, in our family's house. There can be no higher pleasure."**

Sirius shivered . _Disgusting woman._

**She sat beside her sister, as unlike her in looks, with her dark hair and heavily lidded eyes, as she was in bearing and demeanor; where Narcissa sat rigid and impassive, Bellatrix leaned toward Voldemort, for mere words could not demonstrate her longing for closeness.**

****Even Severus and the Malfoys had disgusted looks on their faces.

"**No higher pleasure," repeated Voldemort, his head tilted a little to one side as he considered Bellatrix. "That means a great deal, Bellatrix, from you."**

**Her face flooded with color; her eyes welled with tears of delight.**

"**My Lord knows I speak nothing but the truth!"**

"**No higher pleasure … even compared with the happy event that, I hear, has taken place in your family this week?"**

**She stared at him, her lips parted, evidently confused.**

"**I don't know what you mean, my Lord."**

"**I'm talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And yours, Lucius and Narcissa. She has just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin. You must be so proud."**

****Mr. Potter freed Sirius from his bindings so he could congratulate his friend.

" We're family Moony~" Remus just sat there in shock.

**There was an eruption of jeering laughter from around the table. Many leaned forward to exchange gleeful looks; a few thumped the table with their fists. The giant snake, disliking the disturbance, opened its mouth wide and hissed angrily, but the Death Eaters did not hear it, so jubilant were they at Bellatrix and the Malfoys' humiliation. Bellatrix's face, so recently flushed wit happiness, had turned an ugly, blotchy red.**

**"She is no niece of ours, my Lord," she cried over the outpouring of mirth. "We – Narcissa and I – have never set eyes on our sister since she married the Mudblood. This brat has nothing to do with either of us, nor any beast she marries.**

****Most everyone looked outraged. Remus, despite what he thought, was NOT a beast.

"**What say you, Draco?" asked Voldemort, and though his voice was quiet, it carried clearly through the catcalls and jeers. "Will you babysit the cubs?"**

****Remus looked as though he might faint.

**The hilarity mounted; Draco Malfoy looked in terror at his father, who was staring down into his own lap, then caught his mother's eye. She shook her head almost imperceptibly, then resumed her own deadpan stare at the opposite wall.**

"**Enough," said Voldemort, stroking the angry snake. "Enough."**

**And the laughter died at once.**

****Uh-Oh

"**Many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time," he said as Bellatrix gazed at him, breathless and imploring, "You must prune yours, must you not, to keep it healthy? Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest."**

"**Yes, my Lord," whispered Bellatrix, and her eyes swam with tears of gratitude again. "At the first chance!"**

"**You shall have it," said Voldemort. "And in your family, so in the world … we shall cut away the canker that infects us until only those of the true blood remain …"**

**Voldemort raised Lucius Malfoy's wand, pointed it directly at the slowly revolving figure suspended over the table, and gave it a tiny flick. The figure came to life with a groan and began to struggle against invisible bonds.**

"**Do you recognize our guest, Severus?" asked Voldemort.**

**Snape raised his eyes to the upside down face. All of the Death Eaters were looking up at the captive now, as though they had been given permission to show curiosity. As she revolved to face the firelight, the woman said in a cracked and terrified voice, "Severus! Help me!"**

"**Ah, yes," said Snape as the prisoner turned slowly away again.**

"**And you, Draco?" asked Voldemort, stroking the snake's snout with his wand-free hand. Draco shook his head jerkily. Now that the woman had woken, he seemed unable to look at her anymore.**

"**But you would not have taken her classes," said Voldemort. "For those of you who do not know, we are joined here tonight by Charity Burbage who, until recently, taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."**

****Hermione and Minerva ( i dont like calling her by her last name) both cried out in shock.

**There were small noises of comprehension around the table. A broad, hunched woman with pointed teeth cackled.**

"**Yes … Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about Muggles … how they are not so different from us … "**

**One of the Death Eaters spat on the floor. Charity Burbage revolved to face Snape again.**

"**Severus … please … please … "**

**** saw the looks on a few peoples faces.

"He couldn't have saved her, even if he wanted to." It didnt help much, but they had stopped glaring.

**"Silence," said Voldemort, with another twitch of Malfoy's wand, and Charity fell silent as if gagged. "Not content with corrupting and polluting the minds of Wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage wrote an impassioned defense of Mudbloods in the Daily Prophet. Wizards, she says, must accept these thieves of their knowledge and magic. The dwindling of the purebloods is, says Professor Burbage, a most desirable circumstance … She would have us all mate with Muggles … or, no doubt, werewolves … "**

****"There's nothing wrong with Werewolves!" Sirius and Teddy shouted at the same time, they then turned and looked at each other in surprise.

**Nobody laughed this time. There was no mistaking the anger and contempt in Voldemort's voice. For the third time, Charity Burbage revolved to face Snape. Tears were pouring from her eyes into her hair. Snape looked back at her, quite impassive, as she turned slowly away from him again.**

"**Avada Kedavra"**

**The flash of green light illuminated every corner of the room. Charity fell, with a resounding crash, onto the table below, which trembled and creaked. Several of the Death Eaters leapt back in their chairs. Draco fell out of his onto the floor.**

"**Dinner, Nagini," said Voldemort softly, and the great snake swayed and slithered from his shoulders onto the polished wood.**

****"That's just... revolting." Ginny whimpered. Bill looked around.

"That was the end of the first chapter. Who wants to read next?" Luna's hand was up first, so he handed the book over.

She opened the book and flipped to the right page.

"Chapter two" She began in her dream-like voice.

"In Memoriam."

* * *

**Bleehhhhhhh**

**My hands hurt. **

**I know that aside from the chap from the book,**

**that there isn't much, but this was a bit of a slow chapter,**

**and its almost two in the morning.**

**R & R**

**Lord KittyMort**


	4. In Memorium

**Sorry I havent posted sooner.**

**That goes for ALL of my current stories.**

**I would have posted wednesday but **

**We got our Robo-Babies for Child Development, and **

**all of my time was consumed by that. I passed though!**

**One out of the three that did, and got the highest grade :D**

**Oops, got off track. **

**Thanks to my Three Amazing Reviewers!**

19811945

Snape Lover 1981

sachaell

**Older Harry- Mr. Potter**

**Yea, harry is a bit OOC, who cares? I don't.**

**" Speech "**

**' Thought '**

**: Parsletounge :**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!**

* * *

Chapter 2: In Memoriam

Before she could even get the first word of the sentence out, a popping noise interrupted her. Al and Teddy were gone! Harry and Remus looked startled, as well as everyone else ( yes, even Snape. ) too. Mr. Potter only looked amused.

"Don't worry, they've just been sent to an adjoining room. They can come out during breaks or in between chapters. Some of the contents of this book aren't really kid-friendly." They all nodded in acceptance and understanding. Well, except for Draco, who looked indifferent to the whole situation.

**Harry was bleeding.**

"Great" groaned Ginny, along with the rest of his friends.

"Well that was a lovely introduction" Charlie commented, Remus frowned at this. How many times is Harry going to get injured this year?

**Clutching his right hand in his left and swearing under his breath, he shouldered open his bedroom door. There was a crunch of breaking china. He had trodden on a cup of cold tea that had been sitting on the floor outside his bedroom door.**

"What?" everyone asked.

"Cold tea…. On the floor?" Hermione asked, unsure, to Luna who nodded.

"That's what it says"

**"What the -?"**

"Language, Mr- Harry." Snape said

"English, Sir." He replied cheekily before motioning to Luna to continue.

**He looked around, the landing of number four, Privet Drive, was deserted. Possibly the cup of tea was Dudley's idea of a clever booby trap.**

"Very" Fred said coldly with sarcasm, Luna frowned

"Why would his cousin do that?" she asked, everyone looked at Harry, who shrugged.

**Keeping his bleeding hand elevated, Harry scraped the fragments of cup together with the other hand and threw them into the already crammed bin just visible inside his bedroom door. Then he tramped across to the bathroom to run his finger under the tap.**

**It was stupid, pointless, irritating beyond belief that he still had four days left of being unable to perform magic…**

Everyone who WAS of age groaned, remembering how it was for them. Those last few days always seemed to drag on. Minerva and Dumbledore shared a smile.

**but he had to admit to himself that this jagged cut in his finger would have defeated him. He had never learned how to repair wounds, and now he came to think of it – particularly in light of his immediate plans – this seemed a serious flaw in his magical education**

"We do have classes for that. You learn it when your a 7th year."

**Making a mental note to ask Hermione how it was done,**

Ginny and Luna snorted,

"What?" asked Charlie

"That's just like them" Ginny explained "When in doubt ask Hermione!" everyone chuckled at this.

**he used a large wad of toilet paper to mop up as much of the tea as he could before returning to his bedroom and slamming the door behind him.**

**Harry had spent the morning completely emptying his school trunk for the first time since he had packed it six years ago. At the start of the intervening school years, he had merely skimmed off the topmost three quarters of the contents and replaced or updated them, leaving a layer of general debris at the bottom – old quills, desiccated beetle eyes, single socks that no longer fit.**

"What is he doing?" Crow asked, no one had an answer.

**Minutes previously, Harry had plunged his hand into this mulch, experienced a stabbing pain in the fourth finger of his right hand, and withdrawn it to see a lot of blood.**

**He now proceeded a little more cautiously. Kneeling down beside the trunk again, he groped around in the bottom and, after retrieving an old badge that flickered feebly between SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY and POTTER STINKS, a cracked and worn-out Sneakoscope, and a gold locket inside which a note signed R.A.B. had been hidden, he finally discovered the sharp edge that had done the damage.**

"R.A.B?" Harry asked, looking at Mr. Potter. He didn't notice the way Dumbledore had stiffened slightly at the mention of the locket.

"Something is missing, why is the locket so important?" Sirius asked. The Initials sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

"Maybe it is mentioned in latter story?" Mrs. Malfoy offered.

**He recognized it at once. It was a two-inch-long fragment of the enchanted mirror that**

Luna cut herself off. She looked at Harry sadly, before her eyes went to Mr. Potter, who smiled sadly.

**his dead godfather, Sirius, had given him. **

****Harry nearly choked on air. He got up and threw his arms around Sirius, practically sitting in the stunned mans lap. Harry could care less that he was acting like a child. Sirius just sat there. He was completely speechless. He had barely gotten to know his godson for two years, and now he was gone. He wrapped his arms around Harry, who refused to get off his lap. Remus wasn't much better, his eyes slightly misty.

Everyone sat in silence for a moment, before Luna cleared her throat, and read on.

**Harry laid it aside and felt cautiously around the trunk for the rest, but nothing more remained of his godfather's last gift except powdered glass, which clung to the deepest layer of debris like glittering grit.**

**Harry sat up and examined the jagged piece on which he had cut himself, seeing nothing but his own bright green eye reflected back at him. Then he placed the fragment on top of that morning's Daily prophet, which lay unread on the bed, and attempted to stem the sudden upsurge of bitter memories, the stabs of regret and of longing the discovery of the broken mirror had occasioned, by attacking the rest of the rubbish in the trunk.**

"A mirror?" Lucius questioned. He had hardly spoken at all.

"It's a gift. I had planned on giving it to him before he left when the holidays were over." Sirius said.

"Why?"

"To look at another" Luna commented making everyone look at her.

"That would explain a lot about your detentions, Mr. Black." Minerva said, sternly, but she was smiling.

**It took another hour to empty it completely, throw away the useless items, and sort the remainder in piles according to whether or not he would need them from now on. His school and Quidditch robes, cauldron, parchment, quills, and most of his textbooks were piled in a corner, to be left wondered what his aunt and uncle would do with them; burn them in the dead of night,**

"Why?" asked Lucius. He was appalled at the thought.

"I think Harry's aunt and uncle don't like magic" Mr. Weasley said, making everyone look at Harry curiously.

**probably, as if they were evidence of some dreadful crime. His Muggle clothing, Invisibility Cloak, potion-making kit, certain books, and the photograph album Hagrid had once given him, a stack of letters, and his wand had been repacked into an old rucksack. In a front pocket were the Marauder's Map**

"Marauder's Map?" questioned Severus with a raised eyebrow. THAT would be how he never seemed to catch Mr. Po- Harry, he corrected himself, out after dark.

"Would that happen to be the parchment that insulted me?" He glared knowingly at the back of Harry's head. The question went unanswered.

**and the locket with the note signed R.A.B. inside it. The locket was accorded this place of honor not because it was valuable – in all usual senses it was worthless – but because of what it had cost to attain it.**

**This left a sizable stack of newspapers sitting on his desk beside his snowy owl, Hedwig: one for each of the days Harry had spent at Privet Drive this summer.**

**He got up off the floor, stretched, and moved across to his desk. Hedwig made no movement as he began to flick through newspapers, throwing them into the rubbish pile one by one. The owl was asleep or else faking; she was angry with Harry about the limited amount of time she was allowed out of her cage at the moment.**

**Harry sighed sadly, he hated that she was mad at him so close to the end.**

**As he neared the bottom of the pile of newspapers, Harry slowed down, searching for one particular issue that he knew had arrived shortly after he had returned to Privet Drive for the summer; he remembered that there had been a small mention on the front about the resignation of Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies teacher at Hogwarts. At last he found it. Turning to page ten, he sank into his desk chair and reread the article he had been looking for.**

**ALBUS DUMBLEDORE REMEMBERED**

****Hell broke loose. Molly, and most of the other Weasleys were in an uproar, Minerva wasn't much better. Severus just sat there quietly, lost deep in thought. Wondering who, or what kind of monster could have killed his mentor.

Dumbledore calmly raised a hand and the effect was instantaneous, and the room was silent once more.

"I am an Old man, and everyone must past when it is their time. I am no different."

Everyone, and yes, even the Malfoys, sat in a respectful silence. Luna waited an extra moment, before continuing.

**((AN:/ I skipped The long article. After reading it repeatedly, i find it quite boring and time consuming. Sorry if you happened to like that particular article, though im sure lots of other stories posted it.))**

**Harry finished reading, but continued to gaze at the picture accompanying the obituary. Dumbledore was wearing his familiar, kindly smile, but as he peered over the top of his half-moon spectacles, he gave the impression, even in newsprint, of X-raying Harry, whose sadness mingled with a sense of humiliation.**

"Humiliation?"

**He had thought he knew Dumbledore quite well, but ever since reading this obituary he had been forced to recognize that he had barely known him at all. Never once had he imagined Dumbledore's childhood or youth; it was as though he had sprung into being as Harry had known him, venerable and silver-haired and old.**

Everyone laughed nodding in agreement. "Too true" choked out Bill. Mr. Potter smiled at Dumbledore fondly.

**The idea of a teenage Dumbledore was simply odd, like trying to imagine a stupid Hermione or a friendly Blast-Ended Skrewt.**

**He had never thought to ask Dumbledore about his past. No doubt it would have felt strange, impertinent even, but after all it had been common knowledge that Dumbledore had taken part in that legendary duel with Grindelwald, and Harry had not thought to ask Dumbledore what that had been like, nor about any of his other famous achievements. No, they had always discussed Harry, Harry's past, Harry's future, Harry's plans… and it seemed to Harry now, despite the fact that his future was so dangerous and so uncertain, that he had missed irreplaceable opportunities when he had failed to ask Dumbledore more about himself, even though the only personal question he had ever asked his headmaster was also the only one he suspected that Dumbledore had not answered honestly:**

**"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"**

**"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks."**

"Huh? Mirror?" everyone muttered. Only Dumbledore, and the two Harrys knew what it was talking about.

"Maybe it is not important" offered Ginny.

**After several minutes' thought, Harry tore the obituary out of the Prophet, folded it carefully, and tucked it inside the first volume of Practical Defensive Magic and its Use against the Dark Arts. Then he threw the rest of the newspaper onto the rubbish pile and turned to face the room. It was much tidier. The only things left out of place were today's Daily Prophet, still lying on the bed, and on top of it, the piece of broken mirror.**

**Harry moved across the room, slid the mirror fragment off today's Prophet, and unfolded the newspaper. He had merely glanced at the headline when he had taken the rolled-up paper from the delivery owl early that morning and thrown it aside, after noting that it said nothing about Voldemort. Harry was sure that the Ministry was leaning on the Prophet to suppress news about Voldemort.**

"That's stupid!" Fred said,

"It's true people need to be prepared about you-know- who" said George.

**It was only now, therefore, that he saw what he had missed.**

**Across the bottom half of the front page a smaller headline was set over a picture of Dumbledore striding along, looking harried:**

**DUMBLEDORE – THE TRUTH AT LAST?**

**Coming next week, the shocking story of the flawed genius considered by many to be the greatest wizard of his generation. Striping away the popular image of serene, silver-bearded wisdom, Rita Skeeter**

"GAH! I can't STAND her!" Ginny groaned

"That horrid fat cow! " Hermione muttered, or rather, she thought she muttered. She had actually said that quite loudly. Everyone looked at her for a moment, but nodded. Luna knew this woman was full of lies, it was sad.

**reveals the disturbed childhood, the lawless youth, the life-long feuds, and the guilty secrets that Dumbledore carried to his grave, WHY was the man tipped to be the Minister of Magic content to remain a mere headmaster? WHAT was the real purpose of the secret organization known as the Order of the Phoenix? HOW did Dumbledore really meet his end?**

**The answers to these and many more questions are explored in the explosive new biography, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, by Rita Skeeter,**

"That book will be full of rubbish" Molly commented

**exclusively interviewed by Berry Braithwaite, page 13, inside.**

**Harry ripped open the paper and found page thirteen.**

" Oh please no I don't want to hear this crap" Harry commented, speaking for the first time since he heard of Sirius' nodded.

**The article was topped with a picture showing another familiar face: a woman wearing jeweled glasses with elaborately curled blonde hair, her teeth bared in what was clearly supposed to be a winning smile, wiggling her fingers up at him. Doing his best to ignore this nauseating image, Harry read on.**

**In person, Rita Skeeter is much warmer and softer than her famously ferocious quill-portraits might suggest.**

" Whoever believes this load of rubbish must be mental." Ginny said, everyone nodded in agreement.

**Greeting me in the hallway of her cozy home, she leads me straight into the kitchen for a cup of tea, a slice of pound cake and, it goes without saying, a steaming vat of freshest gossip.**

**"Well, of course, Dumbledore is a biographer's dream," says Skeeter. "Such a long, full life. I'm sure my book will be the first of very, very many."**

**Skeeter was certainly quick off the mark. Her nine-hundred-page book was completed in a mere four weeks after Dumbledore's mysterious death in June. I ask her how she managed this super fast feat.**

"Cause she makes it all up!" Draco said, startling the rest of the group.

**Oh, when you've been a journalist as long as I have, working to a deadline is second**

**nature. I knew that the Wizarding world was clamoring for the full story and I wanted to be the first to meet that need."**

**I mention the recent, widely publicized remarks of Elphias Doge, Special Advisor to the Wizengamot and longstanding friend of Albus Dumbledore's, that "Skeeter's book contains less fact than a Chocolate Frog card."**

**Skeeter throws back her head and laughs.**

**"Darling Dodgy! I remember interviewing him a few years back about merpeople rights, bless him. Completely gaga, seemed to think we were sitting at the bottom of Lake Windermere, kept telling me to watch out for trout."**

**And yet Elphias Doge's accusations of inaccuracy have been echoed in many places. Does Skeeter really feel that four short weeks have been enough to gain a full picture of Dumbledore's long and extraordinary life?**

**"Oh, my dear," beams Skeeter, rapping me affectionately across the knuckles, "you know as well as I do how much information can be generated by a fat bag of Galleons, a refusal to hear the word 'no,' and a nice sharp Quick-Quotes Quill! People were queuing to dish the dirt on Dumbledore anyway. Not everyone thought he was so wonderful, you know – he trod on an awful lot of important toes.**

"That is true," Minerva said; Dumbledore's eccentric ways get a lot of people on edge.

**But old Dodgy Doge can get off his high hippogriff, because I've had access to a source most journalists would swap their wands for, one who has never spoken in public before and who was close to Dumbledore during the most turbulent and disturbing phase of his youth."**

**The advance publicity for Skeeter's biography has certainly suggested that there will be shocks in store for those who believe Dumbledore to have led a blameless life.**

" No one is blameless" Severus said softly, only Mr. Potter and Remus, because of his werewolf hearing, heard.

**What were the biggest surprises she uncovered, I ask?**

**"Now, come off it. Betty, I'm not giving away all the highlights before anybody's bought the book!" laughs Skeeter. "But I can promise that anybody who still thinks Dumbledore was white as his beard is in for a rude awakening! Let's just say that nobody hearing him rage against You-Know-Who would have dreamed that he dabbled in the Dark Arts himself in his youth!**

No one commented.

**And for a wizard who spent his later years pleading for tolerance, he wasn't exactly broad-minded when he was younger! Yes, Albus Dumbledore had an extremely murky past, not to mention that very fishy family, which he worked so hard to keep hushed up."**

**I ask whether Skeeter is referring to Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, whose conviction by the Wizengamot for misuse of magic caused a minor scandal fifteen years ago.**

**"Oh, Aberforth is just the tip of the dung heap," laughs Skeeter. "No, no, I'm talking about much worse than a brother with a fondness for fiddling about with goats, worse even than the Muggle-maiming father – Dumbledore couldn't keep either of them quiet anyway, they were both charged by the Wizengamot. No, it's the mother and the sister that intrigued me, and a little digging uncovered a**

**positive nest of nastiness – but, as I say, you'll have to wait for chapters nine to twelve for full details. All I can say now is, it's no wonder Dumbledore never talked about how his nose got broken."**

**Family skeletons notwithstanding, does Skeeter deny the brilliance that led to Dumbledore's many magical discoveries?**

**"He had brains," she concedes, "although many now question whether he could really take full credit for all of his supposed achievements. As I reveal in chapter sixteen, Ivor Dillonsby claims he had already discovered eight uses of dragon's blood when Dumbledore 'borrowed' his papers."**

"Okay, I'm sure that is not true" Molly said. Almost everyone nodded in agreement.

**But the importance of some of Dumbledore's achievements cannot, I venture, be denied. What of his famous defeat of Grindelwald?**

**"Oh, now, I'm glad you mentioned Grindelwald," says Skeeter with such a tantalizing smile. "I'm afraid those who go dewy-eyed over Dumbledore's spectacular victory must brace themselves for a bombshell – or perhaps a Dungbomb. Very dirty business indeed. All I'll say is, don't be so sure that there really was a spectacular duel of legend. After they've read my book, people may be forced to conclude that Grindelwald simply conjured a white handkerchief from the end of his wand and came quietly!"**

"What!" everyone shouted outraged. That was not true!

**Skeeter refuses to give any more away on this intriguing subject, so we turn instead to the relationship that will undoubtedly fascinate her readers more than any other.**

**"Oh yes," says Skeeter, nodding briskly, "I devote an entire chapter to the whole Potter-Dumbledore relationship.**

"That chapter is going to be nothing but trash!" Ginny said, her family nodded.

**It's been called unhealthy, even sinister.**

****"I doubt you've even HAD a relationship, you bloody bint!" Hermione was scary when she was mad, and nothing made her madder that Rita-bloody-Skeeter.

**Again, your readers will have to buy my book for the whole story, but there is no question that Dumbledore took an unnatural interest in Potter from the word go. Whether that was really in the boy's best interests – well, we'll see. It's certainly an open secret that Potter has had a most troubled adolescence."**

**I ask whether Skeeter is still in touch with Harry Potter, whom she so famously interviewed last year: a breakthrough piece in which Potter spoke exclusively of his conviction that You-Know-Who had returned.**

Everyone rolled their eyes.

**Oh, yes, we've developed a closer bond," says Skeeter. "Poor Potter has few real friends,**

"Sure an I'm a pink unicorn!" Sirius cried, making most of the people in the room smile.

**and we met at one of the most testing moments of his life – the Triwizard Tournament. I am probably one of the only people alive who can say that they know the real Harry Potter."**

Most people scoffed.

"She doesn't know a thing about Harry" Hannah said

**Which leads us neatly to the many rumors still circulating about Dumbledore's final hours. Does Skeeter believe that Potter was there when Dumbledore died?**

**"Well, I don't want to say too much – it's all in the book – but eyewitnesses inside Hogwarts castle saw Potter running away from the scene moments after Dumbledore fell, jumped, or was pushed. Potter later gave evidence against Severus Snape, **

****No one knew who started yelling first, but Harry was the one who ended it. Quickly too.

"EVERYONE SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP!" The room was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop.

"Him-Me, whatever you want to call him, said NOT to judge ANYONE until the end of the book. I named my son after him, so im pretty sure he has a damn good reason for what he did. Now can we PLEASE get on with the story?" Remus and Molly looked like they wanted to scold him for his language, but, like Sirius, were more proud of him not going into one of his famous tempers. Harry didn't notice, but Severus breifly looked at him with gratitude, before he quickly looked away. Lucius and his wife, though, did notice but chose not to say anything for their friends sake.

**a man against whom he has a notorious grudge. Is everything as it seems?**

****"Is she really trying to say that it's your fault?" Lucius may not want to admit it, but he was growing quite fond of the potter boy.

All the children, even his son, Shrugged.

"That's Skeeter for you. When something goes wrong, blame the Potter kid."

**That is for the Wizarding community to decide – once they've read my book."**

**On that intriguing note, I take my leave. There can be no doubt that Skeeter has quilled an instant bestseller. Dumbledore's legion of admirers, meanwhile, may well be trembling at what is soon to emerge about their hero.**

**Harry reached the bottom of the article, but continued to stare blankly at the page. Revulsion and fury rose in him like vomit; he balled up the newspaper and threw it, with all his force, at the wall, where it joined the rest of the rubbish heaped around his overflowing bin.**

**He began to stride blindly around the room, opening empty drawers and picking up books only to replace them on the same piles, barely conscious of what he was doing, as random phrases from Rita's article echoed in his head: An entire chapter to the whole Potter-Dumbledore relationship ... It's been called unhealthy, even sinister ... He dabbled in the Dark Arts himself in his youth ... I've had access to a source most journalists would swap their wands for...**

**"Lies!" Harry bellowed, and through the window he saw the next-door neighbor, who had paused to restart his lawn mower, look up nervously.**

****"Temper Temper Harrikins!"

"Didn't we already tell you not to bottle up those feelings?" Fred and George said.

**Harry sat down hard on the bed. The broken bit of mirror danced away from him; he picked it up and turned it over in his fingers, thinking, thinking of Dumbledore and the lies with which Rita Skeeter was defaming him ...**

**A flash of brightest blue. Harry froze, his cut finger slipping on the jagged edge of the mirror again. He had imagined it, he must have done. He glanced over his shoulder, but the wall was a sickly peach color of Aunt Petunia's choosing: There was nothing blue there for the mirror to reflect. He peered into the mirror fragment again, and saw nothing but his own bright green eye looking back at him.**

**He had imagined it, there was no other explanation; imagined it, because he had been thinking of his dead headmaster. If anything was certain, it was that the bright blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore would never pierce him again.**

****Luna closed the book.

"Thats the end? Thank Merlin! Im starved." said Ron. His family shook their heads fondly.

"Honestly Ron, your always starved." Hermione said playfullly.

"Ill read next." It was Mrs. Malfoy who spoke. Luna nodded and stood. She walked over and handed her the book before returning to her seat.

Dumbledore stood from his seat on the three seater and took harry's empty seat. Sirius lifted Harry from his lap, and Remus scooted over so that he was seated between them. Mrs. Malfoy Flipped the page and began reading.

"The Dursleys Departing"

* * *

**Yay! another chapter done!**

**Review for me pleeeaaase?**

**LordKittyMort**


	5. The Dursleys Departing

**Since it's still Thanksgiving Holidays, i decided **

**to devote all my free time to my FanFics!**

**and i Have multitudes of free time so...**

**Al and Teddy will be back, i think the chapter**

**after this one will be a break, and have some**

**Harry Snape bonding time! YAY *insert fan-girl squeal here***

**I had my Inspirational Music going for the last, and this chapter. (Listed Below)**

**_MIKA- Rain_**

**_Dream On- Aerosmith_**

**_Gotye- Somebody that i used to know_**

**_Edwin Starr- War_**

**_Billy Talent- Fallen Leaves_**

**_The Call- Regina Spektor_**

**_The Wanted- Chasing the Sun_**

**_Marina and the Diamonds- I am Not a Robot_**

**Older Harry- Mr. Potter**

**Albus ( too many middles names for me to actually care ) Dumbledore- Dumbledore**

**" Speaking "**

**' Thinking '**

**: Parseltounge : ( it WILL be in there somewhere, maybe next chapter )**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**

**and on with the story!**

* * *

Chapter 3: The Dursleys Departing

"The Dursleys Departing_" _read Draco

"Who are the Dursleys?" Severus asked.

"Their my relatives. The ones i live with over the summer?" Harry answered with a sight frown.

"Well at least their leaving" Sirius said. He looked like he wanted to say more, but a look from Remus kept him quiet.

**The sound of the front door slamming echoed up the stairs and a voice roared, "Oh! You!"**

Everyone frowned at this.

"He has a name!" Ginny said.

**Sixteen years of being addressed thus left Harry in no doubt when his uncle was calling, nevertheless, he did not immediately respond. He was still at the narrow fragment in which, for a split second, he had thought he saw Dumbledore's eye. It was not until his uncle bellowed, "BOY!" that Harry got slowly out of bed and headed for the bedroom door, pausing to add the piece of broken mirror to the rucksack filled with things he would be taking with him**.

"I'm not liking these Dursleys" Stratus said

"Very rude" said Mrs. Malfoy.

"Full of Nargles" Luna commented, only Harry ( older and younger ) really knew what she was going on about, everyone else just glanced at her strangely.

**You took you time!" roared Vernon Dursley when Harry appeared at the top of the stairs, "Get down here. I want a word!"**

**Harry strolled downstairs, his hands deep in his pants pockets. When he searched the living room he found all three Dursleys. They were dressed for packing; Uncle Vernon in an old ripped-up jacket and Dudley, Harry's, large, blond, muscular cousin, in his leather jacket.**

"**Yes?" asked Harry.**

"**Sit down!" said Uncle Vernon. Harry raised his eyebrows. "Please!"**

**added Uncle Vernon, wincing slightly as though the word was sharp in his throat.**

"Really he can't even say please!" Crow gawked.

**Harry sat. He though he knew what was coming. His uncle began to pace up and down, Aunt Petunia and Dudley, following his movement with anxious expressions. Finally, his large purple face crumpled with concentration. Uncle Vernon stopped in front of Harry and spoke.**

"He is not a very handsome person either" Lucius commented with a smirk, and everyone nodded in agreement. They failed to noticed Mr. Potter getting up and leaving the room through a door behind the love seat he shared with Snape, who was probably the only one who DID see him leave.

**"I've changed my mind," he said.**

**"What a surprise," said Harry.**

**"Don't you take that tone—" began Aunt Petunia in a shrill voice, but Vernon Dursley waved her down**

**"It's all a lot of claptrap," said Uncle Vernon, glaring at Harry with piggy little eyes. "I've decided I don't believe a word of it. We're staying put, we're not going anywhere."**

"Where are they going?" Charlie asked

"It probably has something to do about protecting them from Voldemort." Harry said. The majority of the room flinched when he said it. Harry rolled his eyes, ' isn't even his real name ' he thought with slight amusement.

**Harry looked up at his uncle and felt a mixture of exasperation and amusement. Vernon Dursley had been changing his mind every twenty four hours for the past four weeks, packing and unpacking and repacking the car with every change of heart.**

**Harry's favorite moment had been the one when Uncle Vernon, unaware the Dudley had added his dumbbells to his case since the last time it been repacked, had attempted to hoist it back into the boot and collapsed with a yelp of pain and much swearing.**

Everyone laughed at this.

"Serves him right!" Ron almost cheered.

"**According to you," Vernon Dursley said, now resuming his pacing up and down the living room, "we – Petunia, Dudley, and I – are in danger. From – from –"**

"**Some of 'my lot' right?" said Harry**

**"Well I don't believe it," repeated Uncle Vernon, coming to a halt in front of Harry again. "I was awake half the night thinking it all over, and I believe it's a plot to get the house."**

"Are they kidding me?" Harry asked, previous amusement gone.

"Why in the name of Merlin would I want the house? All the fond memories?" He missed the slightly worried and curious glances the adults sent him.

**"The house?" repeated Harry. "What house?"**

**"This house!" shrieked Uncle Vernon, the vein his forehead starting to pulse. "Our house! House prices are skyrocketing around here! You want us out of the way and then you're going to do a bit of hocus pocus and before we know it the deeds will be in your name and –"**

Everyone couldn't help but to think the Dursleys aren't very bright people.

**"Are you out of your mind?" demanded Harry. "A plot to get this house? Are you actually as stupid as you look?"**

"Yes" answered Luna, making everyone laugh. Harry smiled at her, and she smiled back.

**"Don't you dare -!" squealed Aunt Petunia, but again Vernon waved her down. Slights on his personal appearance were it seemed as nothing to the danger he had spotted.**

**"Just in case you've forgotten," said Harry, "I've already got a house my godfather left me one. So why would I want this one? All the happy memories?"**

"Harry, Harry, Harry. You shouldn't keep repeating yourself!" Fred and George scolded mockingly.

"Don't do that!" Harry said with a slight smile, " Your channeling Lockheart." The twins looked disgusted at the thought.

**There was silence. Harry thought he had rather impressed his uncle with this argument.**

**"You claim," said Uncle Vernon, starting to pace yet again, "that this Lord Thing –"**

**"—Voldemort," said Harry impatiently, "and we've been through this about a hundred times already. This isn't a claim, it's fact. Dumbledore told you last year, and Kingsley and Mr. Weasley –"**

**Vernon Dursley hunched his shoulders angrily, and Harry guessed that his uncle was attempting to ward off recollections of the unannounced visit, a few days into Harry's summer holidays, of two fully grown wizards. The arrival on the doorstep of Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley had come as a most unpleasant shock to the Dursleys. Harry had to admit, however that as Mr. Weasley had once demolished half of the living room, his reappearance could not have been expected to delight Uncle Vernon.**

"When did dad do that?" Ginny asked, Mr. Weasley was looking anywhere but at his wife, and seemed to find the ceiling very interesting.

"We will talk about this later." Molly said, and left no room for arguments. Sometimes, she could be really scary, and could make Bellatrix seem like pleasant company for Tea.

"Yes dear."

**"—Kingsley and Mr. Weasley explained it all as well," Harry pressed on remorselessly, "Once I'm seventeen, the protective charm that keeps me safe will break, and that exposes you as well as me. The Order is sure Voldemort will target you, whether to torture you to try and find out where I am, or because he thinks by holding you hostage I'd come and try to rescue you."**

**Uncle Vernon's and Harry's eyes met. Harry was sure that in that instant they were both wondering the same thing. Then Uncle Vernon walked on and Harry resumed, "You've got to go into hiding and the Order wants to help. You're being offered serious protection, the best there is."**

**Uncle Vernon said nothing but continued to pace up and down. Outside the sun hung low over the privet hedges. The next door neighbor's lawn mower stalled again.**

**"I thought there was a Ministry of Magic?" asked Vernon Dursley abruptly.**

**"There is," said Harry, surprised.**

**"Well, then, why can't they protect us? It seems to me that, as innocent victims, guilty of nothing more than harboring a marked man, we ought to qualify for government protection!"**

Everyone scoffed at this. They were unable to wrap their heads around how Vernon Dursley must sound.

**Harry laughed; he could not help himself. It was so very typical of his uncle to put his hopes in the establishment, even within this world that he despised and mistrusted.**

**"You heard what Mr. Weasley and Kingsley said," Harry replied.**

**"We think the Ministry has been infiltrated."**

**Uncle Vernon strode back to the fireplace and back breathing so strongly that his great black mustache rippled his face still purple with concentration.**

**"All right," he said. Stopping in front of Harry get again. "All right, let's say for the sake of argument we accept this protection. I still don't see why we can't have that Kingsley bloke."**

"They like Kingsley?" Remus asked appalled.

"I'm surprised they like anyone with magic." Harry looked startled.

**Harry managed not to roll his eyes, but with difficulty. This question had also been addressed half a dozen times.**

**"As I've told you," he said through gritted teeth, "Kingsley is protecting the Mug – I mean, your Prime Minister."**

**"Exactly – he's the best!" said Uncle Vernon,**

"What makes you think you need the best?" Molly snapped very annoyed with Vernon.

"He seems very big- headed" Mrs. Malfoy commented

"Full of Crumpled-Horn Snorkacks" Luna said sadly.

**pointing at the blank television screen. The Dursleys had spotted Kingsley on the news, walking along the Muggle Prime Minister as he visited a hospital. This, and the fact that Kingsley had mastered the knack of dressing like a Muggle, not to mention a certain reassuring something in his slow, deep voice, had caused the Dursleys to take to Kingsley in a way that they had certainly not done with any other wizard, although it was true that they had never seen him with earring in.**

"What is a television?" Draco asked

"A screen that shows moving pictures and…. You know what never mind" Hermione mumbled. She didn't really feel like explaining to the pureblood right now.

**"Well, he's taken," said Harry. "But Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle are more than up to the job –"**

"Poor Dedalus and Hestia. " Harry muttered, making everyone snort.

**"If we'd even seen CVs…" began Uncle Vernon, but Harry lost patience. Getting to his feet, he advanced on his uncle, not pointing at the TV set himself.**

**"These accidents aren't accidents – the crashed and explosions and derailments and whatever else has happened since we last watched the news. People are disappearing and dying and he's behind it – Voldemort. I've told you this over and over again, he kills Muggles for fun. Even the fogs – they're caused by dementors, and if you can't remember what they are, ask your son!"**

**Dudley's hands jerked upward to tower his mouth. With his parents' and Harry's eyes upon him, he slowly lowered them again and asked, "There are… more of them?"**

"Dementors?" Crow questioned.

"Harry saved his cousin from dementors earlier this year." Remus explained.

**"More?" laughed Harry. "More than the two that attacked us, you mean? Of course there are hundreds, maybe thousands by this time, seeing as they feed off fear and despair—"**

**"All right, all right," blustered Vernon Dursley. "You've made your point –"**

**"I hope so," said Harry, "because once I'm seventeen, all of them – Death Eaters, Dementors, maybe even Inferi – which means dead bodies enchanted by a Dark wizard – will be able to find you and will certainly attack you. And if you remember the last time you tried to outrun wizards, I think you'll agree you need help."**

**There was a brief silence in which the distant echo of Hagrid smashing down a wooden front door seemed to reverberate through the intervening years.**

"Huh?"

**Aunt Petunia was looking at Uncle Vernon; Dudley was staring at Harry. Finally Uncle Vernon blurted out, "But what about my work? What about Dudley's school? I don't suppose those things matter to a bunch of layabout wizards –" **

**"Don't you understand?" shouted Harry. "They will torture and kill you like they did my parents!"**

Everyone looked down, depression filled in the room. Draco cleared his throat, before reading again.

**"Dad," said Dudley in a loud voice, "Dad – I'm going with these Order people."**

"Wow Dudley is finally making sense!"

**"Dudley," said Harry, "for the first time in your life, you're talking sense."**

**He knew the battle was won. If Dudley was frightened enough to accept the Order's help, his parents would accompany him. There could be no question of being separated from their Duddykins. Harry glanced at the carriage clock on the mantelpiece.**

"Duddykins?" Lucius questioned, making everyone snort.

**"They'll be here in about five minutes, he said, and when none of the Dursleys replied, he left the room. The prospect of parting—probably forever – from his aunt, uncle, and cousin was one that he was able to contemplate quite cheerfully but there was nevertheless a certain awkwardness in the air. What did you say to one another at the end of sixteen years' solid dislike?**

"Sixteen years?" Severus said, frowning. He stole a quick glance at Harry, who was looking at the floor.

"That sounds awful" Charlie commented.

**Back in his bedroom, Harry fiddled aimlessly with his rucksack then poked a couple of owl nuts through the bats of Hedwig's cage. They fell with dull thuds to the bottom where she ignored them.**

**"We're leaving soon, really soon," Harry told her. "And then you'll be able to fly again."**

"Harry is so nice to his owl" Hermione cooed. Making everyone look at her she blushed darkly.

"Well it's true" Ginny said, trying to help Hermione, some smirked knowingly, and turning back to Draco.

**The doorbell rang. Harry hesitated, then headed back out of his room and downstairs. It was too much to expect Hestia and Dedalus to cope with the Dursleys on their own.**

**"Harry Potter!" squeaked an excited voice, the moment Harry had opened the door; a small man in a mauve top hat that was sweeping him a deep bow. "An honor as ever!"**

Everyone smiled at this man's behavior. Harry smiled fondly.

**"Thanks, Dedalus," said Harry, bestowing a small and embarrassed smile upon the dark haired Hestia. "It's really good of you to do this… They're through here, my aunt and uncle and cousin…"**

**"Good day to you, Harry Potter's relatives!" said Dedalus happily striding into the living room.**

**The Dursleys did not look at all happy to be addressed thus; Harry half expected another change of mind.**

**Dudley shrank neared to his mother at the sight of the witch and wizard.**

"Seems as Duddykins has some bad experiences with wizards" Fred and George jeered, making the other teens snicker.

"Poor Duddykins" Ron mocked.

**"I see you are packed and ready. Excellent! The plan, as Harry has told you, is a simple one," said Dedalus, pulling an immense pocket watch out of his waistcoat and examining it. "We shall be leaving before Harry does. Due to the danger of using magic in your house –Harry being still underage it could provide the Ministry with an excuse to arrest him –**

**we shall be driving, say, ten miles or so before Disapparating to the safe location we have picked out for you. You know how to drive, I take it?" He asked Uncle Vernon politely.**

" I have feeling the Dursleys aren't going to like this" Sirius said

"Why?" asked Bill

"All muggles know how to drive."

" Wow Padfoot, you actually know something for once."

" Why tha- Hey!"

**"Know how to –? Of course I ruddy well know how to drive!" spluttered Uncle Vernon.**

**"Very clever of you, sir, very clever. I personally would be utterly bamboozled by all those buttons and knobs," said Dedalus. He was clearly under the impression that he was flattering Vernon Dursley, who was visibly losing confidence in the plan with every word Dedalus spoke.**

**"Can't even drive," he muttered under his breath, his mustache rippling indignantly, but fortunately neither Dedalus nor Hestia seemed to hear him.**

"See?" Sirius said trying to prove his point.

"No one doubted you, Sirius." Hermione said making him pout.

**"You, Harry," Dedalus continued, "will wait here for your guard. There has been a little change in the arrangements –"**

"**What d'you mean?" said Harry at once. "I thought Mad-Eye was going to come and take me by Side Along-Apparition?"**

**"Can't do it," said Hestia tersely, "Mad-Eye will explain."**

"Good they won't fall into the Ministry" Terry said, everyone nodded but, remembering the first chapter. _Stupid Snape_ thought Neville.

**The Dursleys, who had listened to all of this with looks of utter incomprehension on their faces, jumped as a loud voice screeched, "Hurry up!" Harry looked all around the room before realizing the voice had issued from Dedalus's pocket watch.**

**"Quite right, were operating to a very tight schedule," said Dedalus nodding at his watch and tucking it back into his waist coat. "We are attempting to time your departure from the house with your family's Disapparition, Harry thus the charm breaks the moment you all head for safety." He turned to the Dursleys, "Well, are we all packed and ready to go?"**

**None of them answered him. Uncle Vernon was still staring appalled at the bulge in Dedalus's waistcoat pocket.**

" Why is he even looking there?" Ron asked, snickers came from the twins

"Ron!" Ginny cried slapping on the head.

"Ow! That hurts!"

"Good" Ginny replied crisply.

**"Perhaps we should wait outside in the hall, Dedalus," murmured Hestia. She clearly felt that it would be tactless for them to remain the room while Harry and the Dursleys exchanged loving, possibly tearful farewells.**

**"There's no need," Harry muttered, but Uncle Vernon made any further explanation unnecessary by saying loudly,**

**"Well, this is good-bye then boy."**

"Boy" scoffed Luna. Along with the other girls. Hearing _boy,_ I mean he DOES have a name you know!

"Good- bye" Sirius said stressing out the words. Dumbledore, who had been quiet for quite some time, had a very slight frown on his face.

**He swung his right arm upward to shake Harry's hand, but at the last moment seemed unable to face it, and merely closed his fist and began swinging it backward and forward like a metronome.**

**"Ready, Duddy?" asked Petunia, fussily checking the clasp of her handbag so as to avoid looking at Harry altogether.**

**Dudley did not answer but stood there with his mouth slightly ajar, reminding Harry a little of the giant, Grawp.**

"Grawp?" Molly questioned

**"Come along, then," said Uncle Vernon.**

**He had already reached the living room door when Dudley mumbled, "I don't understand."**

"That's nothing new!" Harry snorted.

**"You're leaving, so you have to walk out of the room and into the car."**

**"What don't you understand, popkin?" asked Petunia looking up at her son.**

**Dudley raised a large, hamlike hand to point at Harry.**

**"Why isn't he coming with us?**

Everyone looked a little shocked, Harry most of all.

"Maybe Dudley isn't so bad" Ginny said, some nodded.

"Maybe"Harry agreed.

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia froze when they stood staring at Dudley as though he had just expressed a desire to become a ballerina.**

Most people snorted.

**"What?" said Uncle Vernon loudly.**

**"Why isn't he coming too?" asked Dudley.**

**"Well, he—doesn't want to," said Uncle Vernon, turning to glare at Harry and adding, "You don't want to, do you?"**

**"Not in the slightest," said Harry.**

**"There you are," Uncle Vernon told Dudley. "Now come on we're off."**

**He marched out of the room. They heard the front door open, but Dudley did not move and after a few faltering steps Aunt Petunia stopped too.**

**"What now?" barked Uncle Vernon, reappearing in the doorway.**

**It seemed that Dudley was struggling with concepts too difficult to put into words. After several moments of apparently painful internal struggle he said, "But where's he going to go?"**

"He's worried about him!" Hermione said softly with a smile.

"It only took sixteen years" Ron said sweetly making Her glare at him.

**Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked at each other. It was clear that Dudley was frightening them. Hestia Jones broke the silence.**

**"But… surely you know where your nephew is going?" she asked looking bewildered.**

**"Certainly we know," said Vernon Dursley. "He's off with some of your lot, isn't he? Right, Dudley, let's get in the car, you heard the man, we're in a hurry."**

**Again, Vernon Dursley marched as far as the front door, but Dudley did not follow.**

**"Off with some of our lot?"**

"Our lot?" Draco asked, looking quite offended, as did the rest of the room.

**Hestia looked outraged. Harry had met this attitude before witches and wizards seemed stunned that his closest living relatives took so little interest in the famous Harry Potter.**

**"It's fine," Harry assured her. "It doesn't matter, honestly."**

**"Doesn't matter?" repeated Hestia, her voice rising considerably.**

**"Don't these people realize what you've been through? What danger you are in? The unique position you hold in the hearts of the anti Voldemort movement?"**

"Probably not" Harry said, making everyone frown.

**"Er –no, they don't," said Harry. "They think I'm a waste of space, actually but I'm used to –"**

They looked angry. _waste of space?_

**"I don't think you're a waste of space"**

**If Harry had not seen Dudley's lips move, he might not have believed it. As it was, he stared at Dudley for several seconds before accepting that it must have been his cousin who had spoken; for one thing, Dudley had turned red. Harry was embarrassed and astonished himself****_._**

"Well Dudley Is decent" Fred muttered, everyone seemed to calmed down a little.

**"Well... er… thanks, Dudley."**

**Again, Dudley appeared to grapple with thoughts too unwieldy for expression before mumbling, "You saved my life,"**

"And he is grateful" Luna said smiling.

**"Not really," said Harry. "It was your soul the dementor would have taken…"**

Some snorted "Harry….." Ginny mumbled

**He looked curiously at his cousin. They had had virtually no contact during this summer or last, as Harry had come back to Privet Drive so briefly and kept to his room so much. It now dawned on Harry, however, that the cup of cold tea on which he had trodden that morning might not have been a booby trap at all. Although rather touched he was nevertheless quite relieved that Dudley appeared to have exhausted his ability to express his feelings. After opening his mouth once or twice more, Dudley subsided into scarlet-faced silence.**

**Aunt Petunia burst into tears. Hestia Jones gave her an approving look that changed to outrage as Aunt Petunia ran forward and embraced Dudley rather than Harry.**

"What!" Hermione said, she looked outraged.

"What a woman!" Molly muttered angrily

**"S-so sweet, Dudders…" she sobbed into his massive chest. "S-such a lovely b-boy… s-saying thank you…"**

"He didn't say thank you!" Ginny cried, looking a little red.

**"But he hasn't said thank you at all!" said Hestia indignantly. "He only said he didn't think Harry was a waste of space!"**

" I like Hestia!" Ron said, smiling

**"Yea but coming from Dudley that's like 'I love you,'" said Harry, torn between annoyance and a desire to laugh as Aunt Petunia continued to clutch at Dudley as if he had just saved Harry from a burning building.**

**"Are we going or not?" roared Uncle Vernon, reappearing yet again at the living room door. "I thought we were on a tight schedule!"**

**"Yes –yes, we are," said Dedalus Diggle, who had been watching these exchanged with an air of bemusement and now seemed to pull himself together. "We really must be off. Harry –"**

**He tripped forward and wrung Harry's hand with both of his own.**

**"—good luck. I hope we meet again. The hopes of the Wizarding world rest upon your shoulders."**

"That sound comforting!" Sirius said, some rolled their eyes.

**"Oh," said Harry, "right. Thanks."**

**"Farwell, Harry," said Hestia also clasping his hand. "Our thoughts go with you."**

**"I hope everything's okay," said Harry with a glance toward Aunt Petunia and Dudley.**

**"Oh I'm sure we shall end up the best of chums," said Diggle slightly,**

Some laughed at this, Luna chuckled merrily.

**waving his hat as he left the room. Hestia followed him.**

**Dudley gently released himself from his mother's clutches and walked toward Harry who had to repress an urge to threaten him with magic.**

Ginny raised her eyebrow in a very Snape-like fashion.

**Then Dudley held out his large, pink hand.**

**"Blimey, Dudley," said Harry over Aunt Petunia's renewed sobs, "did the dementors blow a different personality into you?"**

**"Dunno," muttered Dudley, "See you, Harry."**

**"Yea …" said Harry, raking Dudley's hand and shaking it. "Maybe. Take care, Big D."**

**Dudley nearly smiled. They lumbered from the room. Harry heard his heavy footfalls on the graveled drive, and then a car door slammed.**

**Aunt Petunia whose face had been buried in her handkerchief looked around at the sound. She did not seem to have expected to find herself alone with Harry. Hastily stowing her wet handkerchief into her pocket, she said, "Well – good-bye" and marched towards the door without looking at him.**

**"Good-bye" said Harry.**

**She stopped and looked back. For a moment Harry had the strangest feeling that she wanted to say something to him; She gave him an odd, tremulous look and seemed to teeter on the edge of speech, but then, with a little of her head, she hustled out of the room after he husband and son.**

Draco closed the book with a snap.

" I thought it'd never end!" He looked around, and finally seemed to realize that older harry was gone.

"Har- Mr. Potter's gone." Draco got up and set the book on the table as the others looked around as well.

"Why don't we take a break, talk and rest some while we wait for Mr. Potter to return?" Dumbledore suggested.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Severus sought out Harry's eyes, and beckoned him him with a slight wave of hand.

Harry nodded and got up off the couch, and followed Snape across the room, and a door appeared, labeled _Study. _Harry followed him inside, and closed the door behind him.

"I think we need to have a talk."

* * *

**Bahaha **

**Another Chapter done! and **

**just in time for some Ice cream :D**

**Please review? I'll Write more if you do!**

**I have all the awesome Followers, but so little reviews..**

**Makes me sad :(**

**R&R**

**LordKittyMort**


	6. A Much Needed Talk

**So i was reading through all 10 of my lovely reviews,**

**thanks btw if you DID review, and I noticed that some**

**had questions or concerns. **

**FIRST! ****sachaelle****, i already addressed the issue that **

**you pointed out, so that's all good. **

**griffindork93****- i think i already messaged you about this,**

**I didn't bring James because i couldn't remember how many years he and Al were**

**apart. ****Phoenix****- I didn't make it slash, mainly because i wouldn't know how to write one**

**. and my mom likes to read my stories... so that's a negative ghost rider.**

**shazzygirl, killuanatsume, flame55, Mego225**** THANKS for reviewing!**

**I got the Name for Mr. Crow from this Substitute teacher we have a lot in school,**

**His name is Mr. Crow and he reminds me of Indiana Jones, NOT KIDDING, even wears the hat!**

**Musical Inspiration for this chapter:: **

**Elephant Elephant- Evelyn Evelyn**

**Hella Good- No doubt**

**Here(in your arms)- Hellogoodbye**

**Any Requests for people to join the reading? **

**except for Cho. i hate her.**

**" Speech "**

**' Thoughts '**

* * *

A Much Needed Talk

" We need to have a talk." Harry just stared at Snape for a moment. This was the first time Snape had spoken to him without a sneer. All he could do was nod.

(**HarryPOV**)

I could only look at him.

"Mr. Po- Harry, I'm sorry." He raised his hand to stop me a I went to speak.

"No... I need to say this, and you NEED to hear it. Since day one at Hogwarts I've treated you harshly,

because i was blinded by the image of your father. I couldn't look past my grudge with a dead man to notice

how much you needed someone. Everyone expects you to save us from the Dark Lord, to help us, but

no one has helped you, and I should have. I took out my rage on you and you've suffered because of it.

I-I also," he broke off and stepped forward until he was standing directly in front of me. He brought his hands

up and they clasped my shoulders tightly, and if I hadn't been completely stunned and still in the process of really

understanding what Sn-Severus was saying to me, I would have winced at how tight his grip was. As if he were

afraid that I would run away, of disappear, His eyes locked with mine and I could see the turmoil rolling around in them.

Like a storm.

"The headmaster, he decided that he didn't want you to know, but it's... unfair. You _deserve _to know." I looked at him uncertainly.

"Sir, are-" He cut me off again.

"Hush child. Let me finish. That night, the night the prophecy was told, someone overheard the last part of it, and relayed

it to the Dark Lord. I was that someone. I'm the reason he attacked your home all those years ago. It's my fault your parents

are dead, Harry." I knew I should be angry, any normal person would. but... I couldn't be. Despite being the snarky-git

he is, Snape was the only constant in my life. He's never lied or sugar coated anything. Even Sirius lied to me now and again,

be it for 'the greater good' or because 'Dumbledore thinks'. When he wasn't too busy trying to make me be like my

father, he's doing things for the Order. It hurts when he calls me James and never realizes...

In a twisted sort of way, Severus was like the father I never got a chance to have. The universe had a warped sense of humor.

I looked up at him to find that he was studying me intensely. Probably trying to gauge my reaction. He jumped and tensed

up as i brought my arms to wrap around his waist. After a moment, I felt him relax. 'He must not get many hugs..'

"Why?" his voice was barely a whisper, but in the otherwise silent room, he might as well have shouted.

"Stupid Gryffindorish tendencies, remember?" I buried my face into his robes and he brought his arms up and he brought his arms

up and draped them around me in a loose hug.

Now, if anyone had walked in, they would have most likely died from shock, from seeing Professor Snape, bat of the

dungeons hugging Gryffindor's Golden boy Harry Potter.

After a moment of comfortable silence, they released each other, though neither mad to take any steps back.

"Thank you, Harry."

"No problem, Severus." He looked a bit startled at the use of his first name, but if he had a problem with it, he didn't anything about it.

"Brat." It was said more affectionately, than as an insult, and with a smile.

"Quick! Someone call Rita Skeeter! Professor Snape just smiled!"

I said with a quirky, annoying voice, before I burst into laughter.

(**TIME BREAK**)

Severus and I talked a bit more over tea, which the room provided. I explained to him why I was so rubbish at Potions.

How if I managed to get it right, Malfoy or one of his fellow Slytherins would botch it by flinging unneeded

ingredients into my cauldron. Other rimes, i wouldn't be able to read the black board because of my glasses being the wrong prescription.

"Would you like me to fix them? Your eyes, I mean."

"There's a spell for that?" I asked incredulously. Why hadn't anyone told me about it sooner?

"Yes, you silly child, now hold still." He pulled out his wand and pointed it between my eyes and muttered the incantation.

My eyes tingled for a second before everything blurred. I pulled the glasses off my face and took a look around the room.

This was AMAZING. I can't believe how much I'd been missing out on. Severus' hair didn't look greasy anymore either,

rather, it looked very silky. THEN i noticed the clock* on the wall behind him.

"Crap!" Severus and I had been talking for almost 3 hours!

"We should probably go before they think we killed one another."

* * *

**There was more, but im tired so i'll post it tomorrow as a separate chapter**

*** I dont really know if they Have clocks there, but in this FF they do.**

**Read and Review!**

**LordKittyMort**


	7. With Teddy and Al

**This is right after the first or so chapter when Teddy and Al pop into another room**

**Not much, wrote it when i was bored.**

**I dont own!**

* * *

With Al & Teddy:

"Al, i'm bored." Teddy whined to his brother as he flopped down on the couch that the room provided.

"You're always bored Teddy. and it's only been 5 minutes!" Al went over to one of the many bookshelves that lined the walls.

"We could look at pictures of dad from his days in Hogwarts." He suggested as he picked up a large, burgundy album from the shelf and walked over to his brother who had sat up, and scooted over to make room for Al to sit down. They cracked it open and flipped to the first page.

"Dad looked so tiny!"

"Is that Aunt Hermione? Her hair looks like a bush!"

(Time break))

(** When Mr. Potter disappeared from the reading room**)

Sometime later found Al and Teddy surrounded by little piles of Photo albums. They didn't even notice when Mr. Potter walked in, they just kept peering down at the album in their laps, smiling at the tiny people waving up at them. He smiled, then cleared his throat loudly. They jumped, startled.

"When did you get here?"

"We're having a break, so you can come out now."

**MEH **

**it's whatever**


	8. Back to the books

**YES i know it's been a while, **

**Dont hate me!**

**I've been really busy and this poor chapter **

**has just been sitting in my notebook :((**

**So here it is!**

**Mr. Potter is still FUTURE Harry though i'll start leaving the Mr. part off**

**So he'll just be Potter**

**Mrs. Malfoy will be a TAD out of character, but its only because**

**i figure her more of a motherly figure hiding behind the Pureblood front.**

**With draco like a mini-me of his father, who has she gotten to coddle and treat like a normal child?**

**and Al is like 8, even though he acts a bit younger than most 8 year olds i know**

**Disclaimer: I dont own! hence the FANFICTION part.**

* * *

( WITH THE OTHERS when snape and harry leave )

Everyone watched silently as Snape and Harry disappeared into a door that had just popped into existence. Mr. Potter walked back in with Teddy and Al.

"If you want, we can answer a few questions." He said as he sat down. Al just stood there when teddy sat between Sirius and Remus. Mr. Potter looked at him for a moment and nodded. A large grin broke onto Al's face and he quickly ran over to Mrs. Malfoy.

"Grandma!" He flung his arms around her, and either didn't notice the looks both Lucius and Draco were giving him, or he didn't care. Mrs Malfoy looked like she didn't care either way and moved Al so he sat comfortably in her lap.

"Grandma? I assume we see each other quite a lot in the future then?" She asked him in a warm voice. He nodded happily.

" You and Grandpa and Uncle Draco!" he pointed to Lucius and Draco. Lucius looked at Potter.

"Grandpa?!"

"You insisted. We, my family and I, have dinner with you two, Draco, and his son every other Sunday." Draco's head snapped up.

"I have a son?" Al clapped his hands.

" Uh-huh! He and Rosie are my best friends!" he clapped his hands over his mouth.

"Oh! please don't tell her I called her Rosie!"

The five of them chatted Happily, Draco got to know about his son, and his parents about their future grandson.

With Teddy Remus and Sirius, they were asking question after question.

"Am I really your father?" Remus asked. Teddy nodded. Sirius went next.

"Your mother?"

"Nymphadora Tonks." Remus sat back and blinded while Sirius patted him on t he back.

"We're family Moony!" The three of them continued with their conversation, not even noticing how the time passed.

Potter had been conversing with the Weasleys, when a loud chime went through the room. They had talked for so long, it was already dinnertime!

A door creaked and Professor Snape and Harry walked out of the room. The door vanished as soon as they were both out it.

Potter stood and clapped his hands.

"Let's eat!" Everyone followed him through a door in the back left corner of the room. Through the door was a large dining room with a round table in the center. At every seat, there was a little card with a name.

"The room has deemed fit to assign us seats." Around the table, starting with the chair closest to the door, sat Mr. Potter, Next to him on the right was Teddy, then Remus and Sirius, then Dumbledore and Minerva, following them was Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Molly, Aurthur, Bill, Charlie, With Fred and George on either side of Draco. After George was Mrs. Malfoy, Al, Lucius, Harry, and on Mr. Potter's left, finishing the circle, was Severus.

They ate their dinner peacefully, some exchanging stories and idle conversations. Soon, everyone was finished eating dinner. As they Made their way back to the reading room, Sirius noticed something.

"Hey Harry, where are your glasses?" Everyone ( Weasleys, Hermione, Malfoys, Dumbledore, and Minerva) Just noticed as well. Harry thought back to the study he and Severus had used to talk. On the way out the door, harry had chucked the useless glasses into the bin by the door, which was promptly set alight by an incindio.

"I don't need them anymore, so i got rid of them."

****(this is a line break, not a petition)****

Everyone sat down, Al and teddy back in their room, except this time Harry sat by Severus, Dumbledore sat on the three-seater with Remus and Sirius and Potter sat in the chair Dumbledore had just vacated. Everyone else sat in there same seats from before. It was decided that Minerva would read next. She was handed the book, and flipped to the chapter.

"The Seven Potters."


End file.
